In 1872, the idea of a global trip taking less than 12 weeks was remarkable. Airplanes and automobiles were decades from reality. Relatively pedestrian railroads and steamships were the norm. But the fictional Phileas Fogg accepted the challenge in Around the World in 80 Days, which Weathervane Playhouse will present in two brisk acts of adventure, romance, comedy and whimsy.

Around the World in 80 Days, Mark Brown’s adaptation of the Jules Verne novel, will have a two-week run for the summer-stock troupe at 100 Price Rd., Newark.

“It’s a great adventure story and a love story told in a really theatrical way, like children’s theater for grown-ups,” said director Mark Seamon, an assistant professor of theater at Denison University in Granville.

“One of the most pleasurable things about the play is its ambitious scope: To go around the world in 80 days seems completely absurd and reflects a very Victorian sensibility.”

Brown adapted the globetrotting comedy from the novel about London resident Fogg, who undertook a daring 19th-century trip to win a bet.

“With six actors playing many roles and lots of modes of transportation for their journey around the world, it’s very much a piece where the audience is asked to play along with their imagination,” Seamon said.

“The challenge is figuring out a diverse set of ways to use body, voice and imagination to convey the spirit of adventure, of taking a risk and of finding yourself.”

“Very grateful and romantic, she is thrown into his quest and journey when Fogg saves her from the Indian custom of burning the wife to death with the emperor’s corpse,” Wilson said.

The princess wants to help Fogg, who lost several days on his journey to save her.

“She also goes along with Fogg because she thinks his quest is interesting — and she does everything she can to make sure he wins the bet,” Wilson said.

Wilson also appears as a priest who beats up Fogg’s second butler, Passepartout (Phillips), and, briefly, as Fogg’s first butler, James Forster.

“The big challenge is playing people from different cultures, different backgrounds,” she said.

Wilson, who also appeared in the ensemble this spring in Guys and Dolls, is in her second season at Weathervane.

“I have a good handle on it, but it’s a whirlwind,” she said.

“At the beginning of the day, you’re memorizing, working and creating a new character. But a few hours later at night, you have to switch back and retain everything you’d done for the past two weeks so your other character in your other show can remain fresh for the audience.”